Feeding and igniting mechanism for explosion-motors.



No. 819,148. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906. P. R. LORENZ.

FEEDING AND IGNITING MECHANISM FOR EXPLOSION MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1 WM Q m 4 Maw/e656 s PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

P. R. LORENZ. FEEDING AND IGNITING MECHANISM FOR EXPLOSION MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1904.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 of the diskf.

FRANZ RUDOLF LORENZ, OF GUMBINNEN, GERMANY.

FEEDING AND IGNITING MECHANISM FOR EXPLOSION-MOTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.pacenteci 1.12. 1, 1906.

A li ti fil d November 28, 1904. Serial No. 234,569.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ RUDOLF Lo- RENZ, a subject of the German Emperor, and a resident of Gumbimien, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Feeding and Igniting Mechanism for Explosive-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

The objectof my invention is to provide an improved mechanism applicable to explosivemotors whereby solid explosives in the form of powder, cord, paste, gelatin, or the like are fed to the place of ignition in charges corresponding in amount to the power required to be developed by the motor.

Referring to the drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a horizontal section of the improved mechanism applied to a motor-cylinder of which only the rear end is shown. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a detail drawn to a smaller scale. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line X X. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line Y Y, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the lire Z Z, of Fig. 1. Fi s. 6 and 7 are respectively a side elevation and a front elevation of an enlarged detail.

A is the motor-cylinder, and A is the explosion-chamber.

b is a feed-disk formed in its fiat side with a number of perforations b, spaced equally apart in a circle concentric with the center of the disk. The disk I) is fixed on a shaft (1, which is rotatably supported at its front end in the end of the motorcylinder and at its rear end in a cross-piece W, forming part of the framing of the apparatus, which comprises the crosspiece D and the stay-bars 1' r h. The disk I) is adapted to be rotated on its axis, so as to bring at each working stroke of the motor one of its perforations Z) in front of the delivery end of a worm conveyer C C, herein after referred to, while another of the perforations b is brought into coincidence with the inlet-orifice of the explosion-chamber A, all the perforations 6 coming thus successively in operation.

The mechanism for rotating the feedingdisk I) consists of a diskf, formed on its front face with ratchet-teeth f and on its edge with ratchet-teethf? A disk 6 is loose on the shaft d in front of the diskf. It is rovided on part of its edge with teeth 6 an( on its face with teeth 6 engaging with the teeth 9 is a lever rocking on the axle Zi. At one end it is formed as a circular rack, gearin with the teeth e, and its other forked end carries an antifriction-roller g, adapted to be actuated by a cam 9 formed on the collar 9 of a shaft T. At every revolution of the motor the lever g is caused by the cam g to rotate the disk e forward, during which move ment a s ring 8 on the shaft (Z forces the toothed isk 6 into en agement With the teeth of the disk f, where y the disk f is also caused to rotate forwardly and through the shaft (Z to rotate the feed-disk 1) forward to the extent required to bring fresh perforations b into position. lever 9 into its initial position, which is determined by a stop o. Durin this return movement a pawl 4 engages with the outer ratchet-teeth of the disk f, and thus prevents the latter from rotating. C is a hopper containing the explosive communicating with the casing c of a worm conveyer C, which delivers the explosive into the perforation b of the feed-disk b that ha pens to be coincident with the delivery-orifibe of the conveyor.

In order to prevent the gases generated in the explosion-chamber A from escaping back through the narrow space normally existent between the front of the feed-disk b and the rear of the motor-cylinder, means are provided whereby shortly before each ex plosion the disk between its intermittent rotary. movements is forced in the direction of its axis tightly against the wall of the motor-cylinder. This intermittent axial movement is effected by means of a screw-spindle Z, which is mounted behind the disk 5 1n the axis of the explosion-chamber A and works in a nut that is held by a cross-piece g, fixed to the stay-bars r r.

n is a lever rocking on the axle h. It is formed at one end as a circular rack n, engaging with teeth Z, formed on the screwspindle Z, and provided at its other end with an antifriction-roller n adapted to be actuated by a cam n formed on the collar 91, of the shaft T. At the proper time the cam it operates the lever n to rotate the screw-s indle Z, so as to force the feed-disk b tig tly against the motor-cylinder. After the explosion the screw Z is moved back away from the motor-cylinder by a spring 7, or vice versa. By a suitable arrangement of the parts the screw-spindle Z may be moved up against the motor-cylinder by the spring 7 and be moved back by the cam n 1 is a link connecting the lever n with a lever 2, which rocks at one end on a center 3 and is situated between the feed-disk b and A spring 9 returns the IIO the conveyerfc. The lever 2 is wedge-shaped at its middle, where it is formed with a hole which coincides with the delivery-orifice of the conveyer c and with a perforation b of the feeddisk 1) during the stoppage of the disk 1) between its intermittent rotary movements. During the said stoppage the conveyer c forces the explosive out at its delivery end through the hole in the lever 2 into the coincident perforation b of the feeddisk I). Then as the lever 2 is rocked on its center 3 by the lever n the sharpened edge of its hole separates the charge of explosive contained in'the perforation b from the main body contained in the conveye'r. The space between the conveyer deliver -orifice and the feed-disk b is completely fil ed up by the lever 2, so that no loss of explosive can take The feed of the explosive is' regulace. 2o fated automatically by means of the conveyer O in combination with the following mechanism: The axle of the conveyer is prolonged as a square shaft t, on which. a disk t can be slid to and fro by means of a forked piece 13 that is slid to and fro, but cannot rotate, on a square bar If, fixed at its ends in the cross-pieces W D, by means of a lever t pivoted at t and operated from the sleeve t 'of a centrifugal governor if.

u is a drum capable of slidin along a square shaft 71, Fig. 2, while rotating therewith. It is formed with a longitudinal camlike prominence u, tapering toward its rear end. The shaft 11, is rotated by means of pulleys it from the shaft T. As the drum u rotates its cam u causes the disk 25 to rotate intermittently, so that at each revolution of the drum u the conveyer-worm C. is caused to feed a quantity of explosive forward. The extent of this rotation, and consequently the forward feed of the explosive, is re ulated by the governor t, which shifts t e forked piece t and with it the disk It, along the cam M. For the purpose of insuring driving contact between the disk 25 and the cam '11 the drum-shaft may be carried in movable bearings pressed by strong springs toward the disk t The means for regulating at will the quantity of explosive to be fed to the motor, whereby the speed of the motor can be increased or reduced, comprise a frame 11., which has extensions u, working on a screw-spindle u, and has also aims if, that engage, by means of studs 11?, in grooved collars u, arranged one at each end of the cam-drum a. By rotating the screw-spindle a in one or theother direction the drum 1/, can be shifted along its shaft so as to bring a larger or a smaller radius of the cam u in contactwith the disk t thereby increasing or diminishing the speed of rotation of the latter, and consequently, also, of the conveyer-worm C, which thus delivers a greater or small quantity of charge. The arms a are preferably made springy in order to soften the impact between the disk t and the cam u]. V The means for igniting or exploding the explosive charge contained in the perforation of the feed-disk b opposite the explosionchamber A are as follows: a is a chain strip of detonators spaced uniformly apart and provided with driving-holes a. a is an anvil-plate which is situated between the feedplate perforation b and the screw-spindle Z. It has a slot (1 and a firing-hole a, Figs. 6. and 7, through which the spark passes to the charge in the disk I). The anvil-plate a is mounted on studs on which it can be slid close up to the feed-disk b, so as to make a gastight joint therewith by the forward movement of the screw-spindle Z. Springs 0? are provided to move back the anvil-plate away from the feed-disk b when the forward pressure of the screw-spindle Z has ceased in order to prevent any hindrance to the rotation of the feed; disk. The strip of detonators a is caused to move intermittently through the slot a in the anvil-plate (1 so as to bring the detonators successively opposite the firing-hole a by means of guides w and peg-rollers. w, which are mounted onshafts w and engage in the holes a of the strip, Fig. 3. The requisite intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the shafts w by means of a ratchet-wheel w -and pawl 10 operated b the lever n.- The de tonatorstrip a is first t readed by hand vertically upward between the peg-roller w (not shown) on the left-hand end of the horizontal shaft w, Fig. 3, and its guide 10 then with a rounded right angled turn horizontally through the slot a in the anvil-plate a and then with a second rounded right-angled turn vertically downbetween the peg-roller w on the right-hand end of the horizontal shaft w and its guide w. The peg-rollers and their guides are exactly the same on both ends of the shaft w. Suitable rollers ac may be provided for giving the strip its turning movement. When the left-hand portion of the lever n rises,its attached pawl 20 operates the ratchet-wheel 'w to rotate the horizontal shaft to in such a manner as to cause the strip a to be fed upward by the left-' hand-roller and/downward by the right-hand roller, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. The strip a is drawn through the slot a in the anvil-plate a by means of the right-hand pegroller w on the vertical shaft 11), which is driven by bevel-wheels from the horizontal shaft 10.

The detonators are detonated by means of a firing-pin s, Fig. 1, which extends longitudinall through the screw-spindle Z and is impel ed by the spring 8' to detonate the detonators at the proper moment. The firingpin has a central enlarged portion having an inclined face 8 which fits normally against a similarly-inclined face on the screw-spindle Z. When the screw-spindle is rotated in its rearward movement, the inclined face of the screw spindle acting on the face .9 forces back the firing-pin against the opposition of the spring 8, and thus cocks the firing-pin. The firing-pin is locked in its cocked position by a lever 8 Fi 5, which rocks on the axle h and one end 0 which is actuated by a cam s on the shaft. T, while its other end carries a locking-nose 8 A spring 8, attached to the framing of the apparatus, acts on the lever 8 in opposition to the cam s. In its normal position the left-hand end of the lever, as shown, is situated just out of engagement with a sto s, formedon the firing-pin 8, While its rlght-hand'end-is in contact with the smallest radius of the cam s.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: From the continuously and uniformly rotating shaft T the square shaft u and through it the cam-drum 'u '11, are also rotated continuously and uniformly by means of the drivin -gear t, By the action of the cam-drum t e disk 15 is rotated intermittently, as are also byits means the s uare shaft t and the screw conveyer c, whic delivers the explosive into that perforation b of the now stationary feed-disk b which hapens to be in front of its delivery-orifice.

he quantity of the explosive so delivered by the conve er is regulated automatically b the centrifhgal governor, which acts throug the lever t to shift the disk t over a lar er or small radius of the cam-drum u u, an thus causethe disk t and through its means the conveyer C to rotate at a greater or less speed, and thereby deliver more or less explosive into the aforesaid erforation 1). Additional regulation may e effected at will by the attendant of the motor by rotating the screw-spindle u in one or the other direction, as desired, by-means of a crankhandle. On the com letion of the delivery by the conveyer the ever 2 is operated by the lever n to sever with the knife-edge of its central orifice that portion of explosive contained in the aforesaid perforation b and constituting a charge from the main mass still in the conveyer. Then the feed-disk b is rotated forward, by means of the lever g and ratchet mechanism e e e ff 4, to an extent sufiicient to bring the following empty perforation b opposite the delivery-orifice of the oonveyer for the purpose of bein charged with explosive, as just above escribed. This partial rotation of the feed-disk 1) brings at the same time a charged perforation of the disk I) in front of the explosion-chamber A, when either the spring 7 or the lever n immediately o erates the screw-spindle l to force the disk with its loaded perforation 1;, gastight against the orifice of the explosionchamber. The charge in the said loaded erforation is then ignited b the lever s lifting its lockin -nose 8 from t e stop 8, and thus releasing t e cocked firing-pin s, which,

impelled by the spring 8, strikes with force through the slot a of the anvil-plate a and detonates one of the detonators of the detonator-strip a, the spark thus roduced igniting through the firing-hole a the charge in the disk perforation b. The explosion gases sweep through the ex losion-chamber A into the cylinder A to pro uce the working stroke of the motor. When the explosion-gases have passed through the exhaust-valve out of the motor-cylinder A, either the lever n or the s ring 7 (or vice versa) rotates the screw-spine Z, so as to bring back the disk I) awa from its gas-tight contact with the motor-0y inder, and thus render the said disk free to make a fresh forward partial rotation, as above described. The same movement of the lever n acts to feed a fresh detonator in front of the firing-hole a in the anvil-plate a, through the medium of the driving-rollers w", shafts w, ratchet-wheel L03, and pawl w Also the same movement of the lever n serves also to depress the link 1, so as to bring the knifeedged hole in the cutting-lever 2 back in front of the deliveryorifice of the conve er 0. The mechanism now recommences the ereinbefore-described cycle of operations for the next working stroke of the motor.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let-. ters Patent, is

1. In an explosion-motor worked by solid ex losive the combination with the motorcy inder, of an axially-slidable feed-disk having equally-spaced erforations equidistant from its axis, means for rotating the feed-disk intermittently so as to bring each perforation in turn in coincidence with the inlet-orifice of the explosion-chamber of the motor-cylinder, a screw oonveyer for charging the perforations of the feed-disk in succession in the intervals between the partial revolutions of the feed-disk, means for rotating said conveyer intermittently, means for automatically regulating the speed of said conveyer, means for optionally varying the speed of said conveyer, means for separating the charge of exprlosive in the perforations of the feed-disk om the mass in the conveyer, and for obturating the space between the feed-disk and said conveyer, an anvil-plate having a firinghole opening into each perforation of the feed-disk when the same is in coincidence with the said explosion-chamber, means for pressing the feed-disk into gas-tight contact with the said explosion-chamber just before and during the explosion, means for feeding a chain of detonators intermittently through said anvil-plate, a firing-pin for exploding each detonator as it comes in coincidence with the said firing-hole, and means for cocking and releasing said firing-pin, substantially asset forth.

, 2. In an explosion-motor worked by solid explosive the combination with the motorgear-teeth, a spring tending to press said.

tooth-clutch into engagement with said inner ratchet-teeth, and a rocking lever bearing at one end on a cam on a revolvin shaft and provided at its other end with a'circular rack engaging with the gear-teeth of said toothed I clutch, whereby the feed-disk is rotated at intervals through part of a revolution so as to bring an empty perforation in coincidence with the charging-orifice of the screw conveyer, and also a charged perforation in coincidence with the inlet-orifice of the explosionchamber of the motor-cylinder, and whereby the feed-disk is caused to pause between said intervals for the pur ose of charging the one perforation and exp oding the charge in the other perforation, substantially as set forth 3. In an explosion-motor worked by solid ex losive, the combination with the motorcy inder, of an axiall -slidable intermittently-rotating feed isk having equall spaced perforations equidistant from 1ts axis, a screw conveyer delivering explosive into the perforations of the said disk, and a lever of Wedge-shaped cross-section for obturatlng the space between the delivery-outlet of the conveyer and the feed-disk between the 1ntervals of charging the perforations in the feed-disk, said lever having a hole through which explosive is charged by the conveyor into the perforations'in the feed-disk, and.

said hole being formed with a knife-edge whereby the charge contained in theperforation in the feed-diskis severed from the mass in the conveyer, with means for actuating said lever, substantially as set forth.

4." In anexplosion-motor worked by solid I explosive, the combination with the ex 10- sion-chamber of the motor-cylinder, o an axially-slidable intermittently-rotating feeddisk having equally-spaced perforations e uidistant from its axis, a screw-spindle para lel to the axis of the feed-disk, and axial with the inlet-orifice of the explosion-chamber of the motor-cylinder, and having gearteeth, a nut prevented from motion in which said screw-spindle works, a spring tending to rotate said screw-spindle to force said feed-disk into gas-tight contact with the motor-cylinder just before and during the explosion, a rocking lever bearin at one end on a cam on a rotating shaft, an formed at its other end with a circular rack gearing with the teeth of the screw-spindle whereby the said rockin lever is actuated by said cam to revolve sai screw-spindle so as to move' away from said feed-disk after the explosion, substantially as set forth.

' actuated b said centrifugal governor, where said cam-drum, substantially as set forth.

mam

5. In an explosion-motor worked b solid explosive, the combination of an axial y-slidab e intermittently-rotating feed-disk having equally-spaced perforations equidistant from its axis, a screw conveyer for delivering explosive into the perforations of said feed-disk, a disk on the conveyer-shaft, and a continuously-revolving cam-drum in frictional contact with said disk, whereby said cam-drum acts upon the said disk so as to rotate the conveyer-shaft intermittently, substantially as set forth. t V

6. In an explosion-motor-worked by solid explosive, the combination of a screw conveyer for delivering explosive, a square extension of the conveyereshaft, a slidable disk cam-disk in frictional contact with tatin disk, a centrifugal governor and a part said by said sli able disk is moved automatically a 0 ng the square extension-shaft b the centrifugal governor, so as to be rotate at speeds corresponding to the varying radius of the 7. In an explosion-motor worked by solid explosive, the combination of a screw conveyer for delivering explosive, a disk on the convyer-shaft, a continuously-rotating camdrum slidable along a square shaft, a screwspindle, nuts on said screw-spindle, arms carried by said nuts adapted to bear against each end of the said cam-drum, and a crankhandle for rotating said screw-spindle, where:

by said screw-spindle may be 0 tionally ro-,' .tated so as to cause said cam- I um to slide along its shaft and bring its greater or less radius in contact with the said disk, and thus 7 vary the speed of the conveyor, substantially as set forth.

8. In an explosion-motor Worked b solid ex losive the combination of an axial y-slidable intermittentl -rotating feed-disk having equally-spaced perforations equidistant from its axis, an anvil-plate having a transverse slot with a firin -hole axial with the inlet-orifice of the exp osion-chamher of the motor-cylinder, situate behind said feed-disk, meansfor feeding a chain of detonators intermittently through. said slot, and a firingpin for detonating each detonator as it comes in coincidence with said firing-hole, substantially as set forth.

9. In an explosionmotor worked by solid explosive, the combination of an anvil-plate having a transverse slot with a firing-hole, a chain of detonators having drivingholes, and drivingin rollers, whereby the detonatorchainis ed intermittently through the slot in the anvil-plate so as to bring each detonator in turn in coincidence with the said firinghole, substantially as set forth.

10. In an explosion-motor worked by solid explosive, the combination of an intermittently-rotating screw-spindle having an axial hole, and an inclined rear face, a firing-pin extending through the said hole in the screwspindle, and having an enlarged portion formed with an inclined front face, a firingspring tending to impel said firingin forward, a stop on said ring-pin, a roc 'ng lever bearing at one end on a cam on a continuously revolving shaft, and provided at its other end with a catch adapted to engage with the stop on the firing-pin, whereb when said screw-spindle rotates it forces bac the firingpin in opposition to the firing-spring and thus cooks the firing-pin, the firing-pin being then FRANZ RUDOLF LORENZ.

Witnesses:

EMIL RICHARD LELLEITs, EMIL S. KUBBIG. 

